32 candidates are in the fray for the post of Goa’s Chief Information Commissioner (GSIC) while 25 have lined up for the post of State Information Commissioner (SIC). This has been revealed in the over 2000 page Information obtained under the Right to Information Act by Adv. Aires Rodrigues from the Directorate of Information. As per the information obtained by Adv. Aires Rodrigues twenty of those aspiring candidates have applied for both the posts.
The applications for GSIC and SIC include former Speaker Vishwas Satarkar, former IAS officer Arun Desai, former Chief Engineer of Water Resources Sandip Nadkarni, current Ombudsman Sharad Marathe, now Mumbai based former Principal Chief Kerala Income Tax Commissioner Saseekala Nair, former Judge Sudin Sangodcar, Bicholim based Adv. Sushma Mandrekar, Prof Nagesh Colvalkar, Dr. Andrew Menezes, Dhananjay Jog, Adv. Rajesh Shivolkar, Adv. Nilesh Shirodkar, Adv. Celvi Tellis, Shabnam Khan, Adv. Nilesh Amonker, Col. Samir
Verma, Pankti Jog and Gujarat based Adv. Deepesh Joshi.
Journalists who have sent in their applications for both the posts are Sanjay Dhavalikar and Balaji Prabhugaonker. Others who only applied for the post of Chief Information Commissioner are current President of Administrative Tribunal Rajesh Narvekar, former Sessions Judge Pradip Sawaikar, Nilesh Barve, Adv. Menino Gomes and David de Souza.
Applications for the post of State Information Commissioner were submitted by former Margao Chief Officer Y.B.Tavde, Adv. Ganesh Kubal,
Education department official Dayanand Chawdikar, social activist Adv. Rui Ferreira, former Information officer John Aguiar, environmental activist Savio Correia, Sammer Desai, Vengurla based Rakesh Dabolkar, Goa Meat Complex Veterinary Doctor Dr Ajit Kosambe , Adv. Vishnuprasad Salgaonkar and journalist Sandesh Prabhudesai.
The government in September had advertised both the posts for which Eminence in public life is mandatory with knowledge and experience in the field of Law, Science & Technology, Social Service, Management, Mass media, Administration and Governance. Both the posts of State Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioner carry a monthly salary of Rs 2, 25,000 besides other perks.
Adv. Rodrigues has today stated that over a dozen applicants now were those who were unsuccessful in their earlier attempts for a post at the State Information Commission. While stating that the selection to those posts will be done by a high level committee headed by the Chief Minister with the
Leader of the Opposition and a Minister nominated by the Chief Minister on the selection committee, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that all the CV’s submitted by the aspiring candidates would be scrupously scrutinized and the details placed before the high-powered committee.
Adv. Rodrigues has further stated that it is not going to be an easy task for that Committee to select the right candidates, if they focus on the much required Eminence in Public life to select the Information Commissioners in accordance with law.
